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Saturday, January 9, 2016

Through the Storm of Stars

Last week I was invited to be a member of The Blue Bugbear Collective -- a group of game developers making tabletop board games for digital environments and platforms. While I was out with the flu most of the following week, in that down-time I did design a completely new board game, and put together a completed playtest kit including the game board, miniatures, cards, etc. I have submitted the game, "Through the Storm of Stars" to the group.

Since submission, I have converted my playtest kit to the fully digital platform they are working on, and it has been approved and added to the schedule for intensive playtesting.

Through the Storm of Stars: A science-fiction board game created by Justin Andrew Mason.

In this exciting board game about deep space travel you take on the role as a captain of your very own interstellar cargo ship. Space transport is a dangerous business, and only the best of the best and the bravest of the brave make it their life’s work – you just happen to be one such space entrepreneur.You have secured an important job to retrieve and deliver valuable cargo somewhere within a vast network of ten neighboring star systems. Important passengers, terraforming equipment, or black market goods – no cargo is too risky!The challenge is to make your way through the vastness of the black while avoiding perils such as running out of fuel, encountering deadly space wraiths, and (should you be smuggling black market goods) being boarded by the Intergalactic Police Force.As you travel between star systems you will encounter many things both strange and wondrous. From interdimensional wormholes and caravans of space merchants to abandoned derelict ships and other captains who may attempt to steal your ship’s resources. The dangers and opportunities are boundless.Businessman, smuggler or pirate? See if you have what it takes to make it through the storm of stars!

I'm looking forward to the playtests for this one, and eventually getting it released to the public. It will be my second foray into board game design.

My Most Recent Publication:

Featured Reviews

Justin Andrew Mason’s “Maw of the Dark Tide” requires a bit of templating work, but oh boy is it worth it! The floating fortress is unique, the artifacts are cool and the super-boss is BRUTAL when built according to specifications... 5 stars + seal of approval..

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

This module at once manages to evoke themes of old-school masterpieces, the sense of myth, the sense of plausibility and the new-school focus on a captivating narrative, with tons of read-aloud text, diverse challenges... My final verdict will clock in at 5 stars + seal of approval and this is furthermore a candidate for my Top Ten of 2017.

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

Justin Andrew Mason and developer Stephen Rowe are both names that I associate with quality; in this instance, however, they delivered something that exceeded my expectations. My final verdict will clock in at 5 stars + seal of approval and this is furthermore a candidate for my Top Ten of 2016. Get this!

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

This is a really good, system-neutral first look at the Vikmordere, one that does not SPOIL any of the modules featuring them, while giving players a good first grasp of these peoples. My final verdict will clock in at 5 stars + seal of approval.

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

Fun, educational and suitable for children of all ages (and even open-minded adults who enjoy this kind of thing), this little educational adventure is absolutely awesome – 5 stars + seal of approval. We need more of them! Seriously, so much more! "

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

"...this has the potential to be pure, unadulterated awesomeness and elicit multiple WTF-reactions from your players. My final verdict will hence clock in at 5 stars and I’ll add my seal of approval as well... now to plot how to integrate the inn in my next campaign..."

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

"Justin Andrew Mason pushes the boundaries of the series in this module, providing a rather atmospheric, awesome mini-dungeon for your perusal – from cool adversaries to nasty atmosphere, solid challenges and a sense of urgency, this one delivers more than a file of its length conceivably has a right to – excellent job, well worth 5 stars + seal of approval."

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

"Justin Andrew Mason’s Mini-Dungeon is compelling – either as straight-forward hack and slay or as an infiltration, this one offers a nice story, a cool backdrop, diverse challenges and even a bit of social interaction, this is a great example of what can be done with a straight-forward, smart application of the limiting mini-dungeon-formula. My final verdict will clock in at 5 stars."

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

"Justin Andrew Mason’s fourth mini-dungeon does it right: We have a great, flavorful build-up; evocative read-aloud text…and non-combat means to resolve the danger. Traps and even a bit of investigation set-up (optional) are provided – this is great and makes the formula work in spite of its brevity. My final verdict 5 stars."

You can read this full article and other product reviews by clicking here.

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AetherCon Online RPG Convention

I served on the senior staff of the AetherCon Online RPG Convention as the convention's web designer and app developer for AetherCons III, IV, V, and VI. AetherCon VII will be happening November 9-11, 2018. I hope to see you there!

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The Roleplaying Game Creators Relief Fund (RCRF) is a charitable organization founded to provide financial assistance to tabletop roleplaying game creators suffering hardship due to medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other catastrophic situations.

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Kickstarter Projects that I was hired to design:

Two of the Kickstarter campaigns I designed have been picked by the Kickstarter staff and granted "Projects We Love" status. These campaigns have raised over a combined $1,271,538.00 worth of revenue for various game publishers.